Okinawa solo travel: itinerary planning: three days to visit Kokusai Street, Naminoue Shrine, Shuri Castle, Senaga Island, Churaumi Aquarium and American Village
I started planning a solo trip to Okinawa Prefecture, south of Japan. The round-trip airfare was about NT9,600. For accommodation, I chose a very simple capsule hotel, santiago guesthouse naha, which cost NT450 per night. The space was not big, so I just wanted to be convenient and stay overnight. The local summer weather was roughly equivalent to that of Taipei, sometimes it rained; sometimes it was extremely hot, so remember to bring rain gear.
As soon as I landed, it was already 8pm local time. After placing my luggage, I went straight to Kokusai-dori, which is also known as Okinawa's "Miracle Mile". There are many Okinawan cuisines, souvenir shops, and many well-known chain stores mentioned in the previous article. It is a tourist attraction that many people will definitely mention when they flash to Okinawa Naha. In my personal experience, because there are all kinds of goods here, it is very suitable for everyone to come here to give souvenirs to friends, and it is suitable for arranging a 2-3 hour shopping trip.
The next day, the main itinerary is the city. The first stop is Naminoue Shrine, which is a 10-minute walk from the monorail Asahibashi Station. Naminoue Shrine is not big. As the first day's itinerary, you can experience the traditional worship ceremony, buy amulets, and go to the nearby Naminoue Beach to play in the water. It is recommended to arrange 1-2 hours; then take the monorail to Shuri Castle Park to visit the capital of the ancient Ryukyu Dynasty. It is a pity that the main hall of Shuri Castle was damaged by a fire in 2019 and is still under renovation, but you can still buy tickets to visit. If you are interested in the history and customs of the Ryukyu Dynasty, you must not miss it. From Shuri Castle, you can also overlook the entire The scenery of the supermarket is about 2~3 hours; then go directly to the monorail Akamine Station and take TK02B to Senaga Island, known as the "Little Greece of Okinawa", a small island near Tomigusuku City. You can overlook the endless sea on the island. There are many shops selling a variety of food on the sea breeze terrace. The most famous one is the happy pancake. Remember to make a reservation before you come! Otherwise, you have to wait for 2~3 hours, so I missed it this time. However, there are also many taco rice and American cuisine shops nearby. You can stay on Senaga Island for 2~3 hours; finally, I arranged to go to Okinawa Toyosaki Ashibinaa outlet for shopping to end the first day.
On the third day, I went straight to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium and took a two-hour express bus to the northern part of Okinawa. There is a large marine park there. In addition to the indoor aquarium that I bought tickets for, there are also turtles, otters, and dolphin shows to watch. It was also when I saw the iconic whale shark here that I felt the confusion of traveling alone. The sense of mission of traveling alone is all worth it. It is very suitable for adults and children to travel together here. You can stay for about 4 to 5 hours. It is also because I don’t drive myself, and the transportation methods are limited and I can’t put more into the itinerary. If I have spare time, I can go to nearby famous attractions such as Kouri Island and Nago Pineapple Garden.
On the last day, the attraction I visited was the American Village, which is about an hour away by sightseeing bus. Here you can eat the potama mentioned in the previous article and Blue seal, etc. You can buy many American-style clothing here, and it is also the most beautiful sea view I have seen! However, I am a little tired of traveling here. Many stores are also just a quick visit. Personally, I think it is not as fun as described in the online information.
In just four days, due to my limited physical strength and transportation, there are still many attractions such as the Blue Grotto and Gyokusen Cave that I missed on this trip, but it also gave me the motivation to visit again! I hope this article will help you plan your trip. I will also post my itinerary in the comments for your reference.
#Okinawa #Kokusai-dori #American Village #Naha #Churaumi Aquarium